Electrically lightable latchable push button assembly



Dec. 15, 1964 llll IIIIIIIIJIII. I",lll lalllllltlllclllllz.

J. o. ROESER 3,161,743

ELECTRICALLY LIGHTABLE LATCHABLE PUSH BUTTON ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 3, 1962 CIRCUIT DIAGRAM 14 i mwsmon N L 24 John O. Poeser 4 4 BY 26 -32 a a/ Q ATT'Y.

United States Patent 3,161,743 ELECTRICALLY LEGHTABLE LATCHABLE PUSH BUTTQN ASSEMBLY John 0. Roeser, Park Ridge, 111., assignor to Illinois Tool Works Inc Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 241,812 8 Claims. (Cl. 2li087) This invention relates in general to a lighted push button switch assembly and more particularly relates to a lighted push button switch assembly which is latchable in its lighted position.

This invention is an improvement on the copending application of Serial No. 136,483, entitled Push Button Switch Assembly, filed the 7th day of September, 1961, now Patent No. 3,118,038 issuing on January 14, 1964-. That application dealt with a highly reliable precision lighted push button switch unit which utilizes standard switch units without derating the reliability thereof. The instant invention relates to utilizing this highly reliable lightable switch button unit in an assembly so as to provide a latchable unit which is operable to convert momentary switching units into oneway switch units which are selectively releasable at a later time.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a latchable lightable switch button unit having electroresponsive latching means.

It is a further object of this invention to provide latching means of the aforenoted character which may be manually overcalled if desired.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an electroresponsive latching means operable with a high precision lighted push button means which does not interfere with bulb removal or the fixedly mounted nonmovable relationship of the lamps to the switch unit.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an electroresponsive latching unit in the form of an electromagnet operable upon actuation of the push button of a lightable push button assembly to maintain the switch unit in one of its two positions, the latch, and the push button both being solely biased by the spring means interiorly of the switch casings to return to their starting position upon deenergization of the latching means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a compact assembly as above described which is well adapted for mass manufacturing techniques, is easy to assemble and maintain, is pleasing in appearance, has a long field life and is otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which it was designed.

The novel features that are characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. An understanding of the invention both as to its organiza tion and its mode of operation together with additional objects and advantages thereof will best be understood by reading the following description of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of the lighted latchable push button assembly, said assembly being shown in approximately its full size;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1;

3,161,743 Patented Dec. 15, 1964 ice said view showing a portion of the lever means in detached relation.

The latchable lighted push button assembly 10 comprises a U-shaped bracket means 12 having spaced parallel arms 14 and 16 and a connecting bail portion 18. A tubular neck portion 2t is fixedly mounted to an aperture in the bail portion and extends upwardly therefrom, the outer portion thereof being threaded as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6. Suitable nuts and lockwashers and the like 22 are mounted on the neck 20 to mount the assembly 10 .to a panel as suitable and desired.

A pair of switch means 24 and 26 (see FIG. 6) are fixedly mounted between the arms 14 and 16 near the free ends thereof in side by side parallel relationship by rivets 66 and 64. Each individual switch is of the type known as a momentary switch, the exact configuration thereof being unimportant other than being of the type wherein the contact means internally of the switch are biased by a spring means to return the switch to its initial position after actuation thereof. The switches 24 and 26 are identical and it will be obvious from later discussion that more than two switches may be simultaneously actuated by the instant device. The individual switches 24 and'26 have terminal means extending therefrom for electrical connection in circuitry as suitable and desired. More particularly, the fixed contact means of the individual switches comprise a first fixed contact 28 having a terminal 36 and an oppositely disposed fixed contact 32 having a contact 34 thereon. These contacts are normally open contacts of the switch as shown in the circuit diagram FIG. 7, said contacts being numbers 3 and 4; and

7 and 8 in the respective switches 26 and 24. The nor-' mally closed fixed contacts of the switch means comprise terminals 36 and 40 having fixed contacts 38 and 42 mounted on the ends thereof as best shown in FIG. 4, said contacts and terminals in the circuit diagram being contact numbers 1, 2, 5 and 6. The movable contact means 44 are mounted on a movable member 46 for actuation between the fixed contacts, the elongated member 46 having a push button extension 48 which extends exteriorly of the housings of the switches. The movable contact means are biased towards the normally closed position by a spring 49 internally of the switch, said spring also biasing the push button 48 upwardly as viewed in FIG. 4.

. Fixedly mounted lamp holder means 50 comprising a bulb 51 and a bulb socket 52 has terminals 54 and 56 i 56 of the lamp means, or inserts 58 and 60 as shown in actuation of the device.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along lines 33 of FIG. 2,

said figure being modified in one respect to indicate an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is a view, in detached relation, of the lever means which forms a art of the latchin arran einent; i

1 p g g blethat these may be in the form of wires particularly FIG. 6 is a sectional view along lines 66 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of the assemblies shown in FIGS. 1-6; and

FIG. 8 is a partial perspective View of an alternate embodiment of lever means of the type shown in FIG. 3,

FIG. 6 may clamp the terminals together for supported mounting on the housings as suitable and desired. It is important to note that the switch casings effectively support the lamp holder means, which does not move during This is important for long life of the lamp means. While the terminals 54 and 56 of the lamp holder means are shown extending below the switch means, it is possible to configure the terminal means 54 and 56 so that they extend outwardly of the sides of the switches when that configuration is desired, the important thing being that they are supportedly mounted between the switches in nonmovable relationship. Also, while it is noted that the terminals 54 and 56 are essentially flatthroughout their extent, it is possiwhen-neon lamps are used.

It will be noted that the lamp holder means 50 is disposed intermediate and above the switch buttons 48. The

H means for actuating the switch buttons 48 without disturbing the lamp holder means 50, comprises an elongated tubular plastic member 66 having a central bore 68 and a large annular flange 70 at the lower end thereof. A removable knob 72 is removably attached to the upper end of the plastic member 66 for bulb changing and the lamp holder means 50 fits within the bore 58 so that member 66 may move relative thereto without disturbing the lamp holder means.

Intermediate the annular flange 70 and the tops of the push buttons 48 is a lever member 74, which is preferably made of metal which is subject to magnetic attraction. The lever member 74 is elongated and is formed with a pair of downturned tabs 76, adjacent one end thereof, which are apertured at 78 to mount a pivot rod 80, the latter in turn being mounted between arms 14 and 16 of the bracket member. The other end of the lever member is formed with a dimple 82 which is adapted to coact with the electroresponsive latch means 89 as shall be described. A large aperture 84 is formed in the lever member intermediate the ends thereof in alignment with the axis of the lamp holder means 50.

As will be perceived in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lamp terminal means 54 and 56 extend through the aperture when the lever means is in the final assembly. The aperture 84 is preferably large enough so that the entire lamp holder means may be inserted through the aperture which facilitates ease of assembling. Web portions 86 and 88 of the lever member 74, immediately outboard of the aperture 84, engage the tops of switch buttons 48 for actuation thereof. Due to the biasing force of the springs 49 internally of the switches 24 and 26, the push buttons 48 engage the lever at points 86 and 88 causing the latter to be biased upwardly to in turn bias annular flange member 70, and hence the entire lightable push button to its starting position. Downward movement of knob 72 causes flange member 70 to cause the lever member 74 to pivot about 80, to in turn cause actuation of the switches 24 and 26.

As aforementioned, dimple 82 is operable to come into contact with the electroresponsive latch means 89. The electroresponsive latch means 89 comprises an electrically energizable winding 90 mounted on a bobbin 92, the bobbin and winding being in turn supported between the arms 16 and 14 of the channel-shaped bracket by support members 93 and 95 having tabs 97 and 99 for mounting engagement with the arms '14 and 16. For best operation, it is preferred that support member 93 is made of nonmagnetic material and member 95 is made of magnetic material. The winding 90 is connected to depending terminals 94 and 96 which in turn are connected to a suitable source of electric power for energization thereof, said source of power not being shown. A magnetic core 100 has a top extension 102 engageable with the dimple 82 in the lever 74. The dimple 82, in etfect, is an armature operable, when the electroresponsive latch means 89 is energized, to retain the switch buttons 48 in actuated position as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the normally open contacts 3, 4, 7 and 8, upon energization of the winding 90 are maintained closed as long as the winding 90 is energized once the push button knob 72 has been actuated.

In some devices, it is desirable to have a manual overcall of the latch means 89. To this end the lever may have a tang 104 struck out thereof, said tang being configured to engage a suitable ledge cutout 106 in annular flange 70 of member 66. When this construction is employed, the latch means 89 may be overcalled by manual upward movement of the push button.

The device is quite compact and may have a length less than two inches and a total height of less than two inches with a width 'or thickness dimension in the neighborhood of three-quarters of an inch. The device is highly reliable in operation, is simple to assemble, is easy to maintain, is rugged, and is well adapted for the purposes for which it is designed.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is with full awareness that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. In a lighted push button switch assembly comprising movable contact means having an at-rest position and movable to a second position, means biasing said movable contact means to its at-rest position, housing means for said movable contact means, lamp means mounted on said housing means, and lightweight lightable push button means mounted relative to said housing means and said lamp means to operate said movable contact means without moving said lamp means, the improvement comprising lever means interposed between said lightweight lightable push button means and said movable contact means, latching means cooperable with said lever means to provide a latched and unlatched position, said lever means being biased from its latched to its unlatched position to in turn bias said lightable push button means by the means biasing said movable contact means to its at-rest position 2. A push button switch assembly comprising first and second switch means disposed in side by side fixed relationship and each having an outer casing, first and second switch actuator means extending through the upper portions of said respective outer casings in side by side horizontally spaced relation, lamp means having a portion disposed intermediate and above said outer casing and said first and second switch actuators with the terminals being supportedly mounted between said outer casings, switch mounting means engaging each of said switch means for mounting each of same to a work panel, pellucid push button means mounted on said switch mounting means for relative movement thereto, and lever means pivotally mounted to said switch mounting means and interposed between said first and second switch actuators and said pellucid push button means, the free end of said lever means extending beyond said switch casings, and electroresponsive latch means operable to engage said free end of said lever means to latch said lever means and hence said switch actuators in actuated position.

3. A latchable push button switch assembly comprising first and second switch means disposed in side by side fixed relation and each having an outer casing, first and second switch actuator means extending through the tops of said respective outer casings in side by side spaced relation, biasing means interior of said outer casings for returning said switch actuator means to an extended position, lamp holder means disposed intermediate said outer casings and said first and second switch actuators with terminals being supportedly mounted on said outer casings, switch mounting means engaging each of said outer casings to mount each of same to a work panel, pellucid push button means mounted on said switch mounting means for relative movement thereto, lever means pivotally mounted at one end on said switch mounting means, said lever means having a free end and an intermediate portion, said intermediate portion being apertured to receive said terminal means extending therethrough, said lever means being disposed in a plane substantially transverse to the direction of movement of said pellucid push button means and said switch actuators, and latch means cooperable with the free end of said lever means, said latch means being selectively operable to maintain said switch actuator means in actuated position after movement to actuated position by said pellucid push button means.

4. The assembly set forth in claim 3 wherein said latch means is an electromagnet operable when energized to magnetically hold the end of said lever means in attracted relation.

5. The assembly set forth in claim 4 wherein said pellucid push button means has a necked portion and a flange enemas portion, said neck portion being aligned with the aperture in said lever means, said flange portion being in engagement with said lever means, said neck portion being surroundingly disposed to said lamp holder means for actuation of said lever means and said switch actuator means without movement of any portion of said lamp holder means.

6. The assembly set forth in claim 5 wherein said lever means and said pellucid push button means are mechanically related so that said push button means may be manually retracted to overeall said electrically energizable latch means.

7. The assembly set forth in claim 6 wherein said annular flange means of said push button means is formed with a ledge and said lever means is formed with an upstanding tang engageable with said ledge to provide a mechanical connection for manually overcalling the attractive force of said electromagnet with the free end of said lever means.

8. A push button switch assembly comprising first and second switch means disposed in side by side fixed relation and each having an outer casing, first and second switch actuator means extending through the tops of said respective outer casings in side by side spaced relation, biasing means interior of said outer casings for returning said switch actuator means to an extended position, lamp holder disposed intermediate said outer casings in said first and second actuators, said lamp holder means comprising a lamp base and a pair of elongated terminals extending below said outer casings with said base being above said casing, switch mounting means comprising in veited U-shaped bracket means having an apertured bail portion and a pair of apertured parallel leg portions, fastener means disposed in said apertures of said leg portions engaging each of said outer casings to mount each of same to said bracket means, hollow pellucid push button means mounted in said aperture means of said bail portion of said bracket means and surrounding said lamp base, lever means disposed intermediate said leg portions of said bracket means and disposed generally parallel to said bail portion of said bracket means, pivot means mounted to said leg portions of said bracket portions for pivotally mounting said lever means, said lever means being formed with an aperture coaxially aligned with said lamp holder means and the aperture means in the bail portion of said bracket means, said lever means having a free end portion extending beyond said switch casing, electroresponsive magnetic means fixedly mounted between said leg portions of said bracket means, said electroresponsive means having a magnet surface engageable with the free end portion of said lever means for latching same when said lever means is disposed adjacent said surface, said lever means upon engaging said switch actuator means being operable, when said magnetic means is energized, to maintain said switch actuator means in actuated position after actuation thereof by said hollow push button means, said actuator means of said first and second switch means, said lever means, and said hollow push button means returning to their initial position solely by the biasing force of said biasing means interior of said outer casings upon deenergization of said magnetic means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

ROJERT K. SCHAEPER. Examiner. 

1. IN A LIGHTED PUSH BUTTON SWITCH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING MOVABLE CONTACT MEANS HAVING AN AT-REST POSITION AND MOVABLE TO A SECOND POSITION, MEANS BIASING SAID MOVABLE CONTACT MEANS TO ITS AT-REST POSITION, HOUSING MEANS FOR SAID MOVABLE CONTACT MEANS, LAMP MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING MEANS, AND LIGHTWEIGHT LIGHTABLE PUSH BUTTON MEANS MOUNTED RELATIVE TO SAID HOUSING MEANS AND SAID LAMP MEANS TO OPERATE SAID MOVABLE CONTACT MEANS WITHOUT MOVING SAID LAMP MEANS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING LEVER MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID LIGHTWEIGHT LIGHTABLE PUSH BUTTON MEANS AND SAID MOVABLE CONTACT MEANS, LATCHING MEANS COOPERABLE WITH SAID LEVER MEANS TO PROVIDE A LATCHED AND UNLATCHED POSITION, SAID LEVER MEANS BEING 